The Unheeded Warnings of 9/11

Published: February 11, 2005

To the Editor:

The Federal Aviation Administration was repeatedly warned about hijackings of planes to be used for suicide missions, yet the agency thought that it wouldn't happen in the United States? I'm reminded of George W. Bush's chilling words after the revelation of the Aug. 6, 2001, presidential daily briefing, titled ''Bin Laden Determined to Strike Inside the United States'': ''Had I any inkling whatsoever that the people were going to fly airplanes into buildings, we would have moved heaven and earth to save the country.''

We now know that someone had more than an inkling. Yet no one put together the reports on suicide airplane hijackings and a desire by Osama bin Laden to hit the United States?

Hypocritically, and typically, the Bush administration won't release the full report without major deletions. Heaven and earth have not been moved.